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Courts Ban Uber from Operating in Germany

Things aren't so über for Uber in Germany, as the ride sharing service has been banned in the European country until later this year.
German courts are going after the popular company because it says some of the drivers don't have the required permits or insurance taxi drivers are supposed to have. A hearing scheduled for later this year will determine the legality of the service, but until then, the courts have ruled a temporary injunction against Uber, slapping it with fines of up to 250,000 euros ($300,000) if it violates the injunction. Drivers are even at risk of being jailed for up to six months.This latest legal battle relates specifically to the standard "UberPop" service. Uber operates by offering customers different levels of service, with UberPop being the most affordable one. The top-tier and more expensive "Uber Black" service, which picks customers up in more luxurious and spacious vehicles, is not affected by the injunction.
Still, Uber says it will continue to operate in Germany and that it will appeal the decision. The New York Times reports the company said in a statement that Germany was one of its fastest-growing markets in Europe. “You cannot put the brakes on progress,” Uber said.
The ride sharing service has been trying to expand globally, but continues to be stopped in its tracks by several legal setbacks. This one, however, is the most severe the company has faced since it took off five years ago. Back in April, a Brussels-based court slapped Uber drivers with a fine of 10,000 euros for every ride that they accepted in the city, and earlier this summer, thousands of taxi drivers in major cities including Madrid and London flooded the streets to protest Uber because they believe the company is breaking the law and threatening their livelihood. In the U.S., the service is currently banned in Las Vegas and Miami, while the company faces lawsuits in many cities including Chicago and San Francisco, where it’s headquartered. In Los Angeles, Uber drivers are not allowed to pick up passengers at LAX since they lack the proper permits allowing them to do so.However, Uber continues to fight back. Last month, the company won a reprieve in Berlin when a court there suspended a ban by the city’s authorities, which had previously ruled that Uber did not comply with passenger safety standards.Source: The New York Times